Speeding and Distractions Kill

Speeding and distractions for tractor-trailer drivers is a dangerous cocktail. A Nashville based truck rental firm, Diamond Rental has been made party, along with trucking company KDXExpress, the driver Brian DeAngelis, to a lawsuit by the estate of a Wood River man killed in a tractor-trailer car crash on I-57 in Illinois.

A local Edwardsville, Illinois newspaper, The Telegraph, says the suit claims that the decedent was driving along on the Interstate when DeAngelis, driving a 2007 International Harvester tractor-trailer ran into the rear of his vehicle causing him to lose control, cross the median into the path of two other vehicle and killing the Wood River man. The Telegraph reports that the suit claims that DeAngelis negligently failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to reduce his speed to avoid the collision and traveling at a speed in excess of what was prudent, given the conditions of the road.

As an experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer car accident attorney, when I first read this article two things cam to mind. Either the Tractor-trailer driver intentionally ran into the rear of the car, or the driver was somehow distracted and was not watching the road. If I were the attorney for the estate I’d certainly want to look at the cell-phone records for the truck driver. Cell-phones are the number one reason for distraction accidents.

According to a landmark research report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

As an experienced Nashville tractor-trailer lawyer I recommend that if you are driving and see a tractor-trailer driving in a dangerous manner, swerving, speeding, tailgating or any other activity that puts other in danger, that you get the identification of the truck, pull over at the first safe place and call the local law enforcement agency and report the driver. A call just might save a life somewhere down the line.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee tractor-trailer car accident contact our experienced Tennessee accident attorneys and find out about your rights and remedies.

It seems to me, that distracted drivers cause most Tennessee car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. In studies by the NHTSA the most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones. However, the number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening. Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening. Reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by 9 times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; reading by 3 times; applying makeup by 3 times; dialing a hand-held device (typically a cell phone) by almost 3 times; and talking or listening on a hand-held device by 1.3 times. Drivers who engage frequently in distracting activities are more likely to be involved in an inattention-related crash or near crash

If you have ever driven on I-65 coming into Nashville in the morning rush hour you will witness all sorts of idiocy being played out by commuters. Some of the major offenders are aggressive drivers who act like they are driving in a NASCAR race, speeding, sudden lane changes, tailgating, you know who I’m talking about. Another offender is the woman putting on her make-up as she travels in close traffic at 65mph or faster. And then we have the cell phone users and texters whose time is so important to them that they put their lives and the lives of others at risk so that they can keep in touch.

These ideas came to mind when I read an article in the Shelbyville Times-Gazette.  It appears from the article that a Shelbyville Tennessee woman was driving along U.S. 41 when she was distracted while trying to retrieve an unidentified item from her from seat. She undid her seatbelt and reached for the item and left the road, lost control and traveled down a steep embankment coming to rest after crashing into several large trees.

I advise people that before putting the key in the ignition, stop for a moment and remind your self that you are getting behind the wheel of a potentially deadly weapon and that if you want to arrive at your destination alive or without killing others, use common sense and avoid distractions. If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, call one of our experienced Nashville car accident attorney’s

Don't Be Distracted

and find out about your rights and remedies.